MACON, Ga. — Big changes and bigger planes are coming to the Middle Georgia Regional Airport.
A federal grant is paving the way for a runway expansion that could mean a boost for airport business.
Big things are in store for the airport, including a 700-foot runway expansion that could mean more flights, but the biggest thing county leaders are excited for is growth for businesses around the airport.
Last week, Macon-Bibb commissioners accepted a $2 million federal grant kickstarting the project. They aim to extend the airport's runway from 6,400 feet to 7,100 feet.
"It's going to help us attract additional business and it's going to help us support the businesses that are already here," said interim airport manager Doug Faour.
The bigger runway would allow bigger airplanes to land, but it's not necessarily for passenger travel.
Faour says they're trying to establish the airport as a maintenance hub. They have different businesses on site that work on different parts of planes, giving them an advantage.
"That's saving the carrier from paying extra fees and flying the aircraft somewhere else to get painted, and then flying it back to get it back in service, so here, it's a one-stop shop," Faour said.
That saves time, gas, and money for the carriers, something Faour hopes will trickle down to consumers.
"The more effectively and efficiently they can do something, the more profitable they are, and the better deals that they can possibly offer to their passengers," said Faour.
They hope to have phase one of the construction done by summer 2023. The overall price of the runway expansion is somewhere around $15 million.
Faour says the airport's main priority is maintenance, but you can still fly out from there. There are a couple flights out each day between Central Georgia and Baltimore.